New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-24
PRICE THREE CENTS
TUMBLING INTO A CANON.
AN ADVENTURE IN A COLORADO PASS
THE STRANGE ESCAPE OF WOMAN WHO FELL
FOUR HUNDRED FEET

THE STRANGE ESCAPE OF WOMAN WHO FELL
FOUR HUNDRED FEET.
CHICAGO, Jan. 23.-SIrs. L. j. Iownsley of this
city, who was an occupant Of the stage coach thai
fell distance Of 400 teet down Independence
Pass, Colorado, in December, and escaped without
scratch, arrived here yesterday. She is about
twenty-five years Of age. Describing the incidents
the details Of which have not before been printed.
she says: I
AT daybreak on the morning of December ii
| was awakened at my hotel in Leadvine and in.
formed that the Aspen stage coach was waiting fOr
me. 1t was bitter cold and showing 80 denselY
that the driver had to pilot me TO the coach.
had on heavy, double fold velvet dress, q seal
skin sacque, buffalo robe pinned over my shoul.
ders my head covered by fur cap, and my faco
enveloped In shawl allowing an aperture for
my eyes. Despite all these projections l was
frightfuly cold. The coach was drawn by siS
horses and was on wheels. We were preceded by
the Granite coach, which was on runners. Tho
road over Elk Mountain is o natural that wild
admit of but q single coach passing.
AT the top Of the mountain the Granite coach
halted in station blasted out Of the rock and al.
lowed us to 90 ahead, and the descent began.
The road at this point inc,ines at an angle
of forty-fve degrees. The driver put
on his lock-chain to the wheels.
The vehicle, despite these precautions and
by its own weight, went down at Q
frightful pace. We could barely keep our
seats We balanced ourselves as best VIC could.
Running up from The truck and through the box Of
the coach was a perpendicular bar OF steel called
the klng-pn. Iciung to thus and managed to keep
myself right eide up. Down the narrow, path
in the side of the mountain we'went with the
horses in a mad gallop 70 keep the coach from
running them down. We were rounding inde-
pendence Pass when suddenly, the driver cried:
m fO
"He never finished the sentence. He had been
holding the coach as near the embankment as the
heavy boulder tOppe and fall down the mountain
| side into the path This caused him to make the
cry of warning. The obstruction was only twenty
yards ahead of him and It was beyond human power
| to stop the coach. saw the driver leap Inside
we all held on TO the kInepn. Down we went,
and in a1"hr the forward ~sS
was thrown forward and outward and the kingpin
snapped like reed The box with all in went over
the precpice on its side, and through the window
| fell out. Less fortunate than myself the coach
and my fellow tourists lodged IN crevice IN the
side of the precipce $50 feet below the road.
Twas thrown ont with such force that cleared
this crag and kept and down the full 400
feet to the bed of the canon and into a bank or
snow, cutting my way INTO 1t as If it was water,
head first. The Granite coach to the rear OF ns
pulled into a notch In the rocks, and the driver
and some prospectors got out and began to CLIMB
they began to dig me out, and curious 10 relate,
the one flesh wound received was from the blade
of shovel which plOughed up furrow ~ my
ankle when they reached me. | was finally
dug out UNCONSCIOUS aG,I 10 all appearances dead.
RestOratives we're administered and | was takcn
mp and carried to the dollhouse at the head OF
the cliff Here my hands and limbs rubbed
| and my face slapped until my checks were raw:
| But ali to no avail. was black in the face, and
there was no audible or visible respiration. | was
left IN the care of the toll-keeper and
| the Granite coach passengers. while the
| two drivers started for Aspen, thirteen
| miles distant, to summon physician. One o! tho
| party returned at midnight with doctor. In the
meantime had revived and haI, IN company with
the tOl-keeper. gone down in sleigh TO the dinner
| station three miles below, and administering
to the wounded ard dying All of the rest had
tanned frIghtfu injuries in tneir fall OF $50 fsot
while !, falling twice the distance, came ont
of the disaster with no other injuries than bruise
| Inflicted by the Shovel